Attachment for hair clippers



March 14, 1961 E. W. CLARK ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Filed Aug. 21, 1959 \NVFNTUR. dawn/w- United States This invention relates to an improvement in comb attachments for conventional electric hair clippers.

One object of this invention is to provide an adjustable comb attachment whereby an unskilled person may cut another persons or his own hair and do a very workmanlike job.

'Another object is to provide an attachment that is very easily and readily moved to and securely clamped in its various positions. l

An additional object is to provide an attachment that is easily applied to or removed from the clipper and one that will fit most clippers.

A further object is to provide means whereby the comb attachment may be clamped securely to the clipper in its various positions with a minimum of clamping force.

' Other objects and advantages will be mentioned later on in this specification.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the comb member of the at-Z tachment. V

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the support for the combmember and shows thesupport attached to the stationary blade of the clipper-the back portion of the blade bein A shown.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment mounted. on the clipper and with the attachment in its retracted or inoperative position. 7 Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 except that the comb member is shown moved to its farthest forward position.

Fig. 5 is also similar to Fig. 3 except that the comb member is in a different position than that shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The drawing is substantially an exact copy of models of my device made and used to determine its advantages and the correctness of design.

In cutting hair with my attachment the backs of the? The'marks are spaced so that the hair may be cut to M3,. %1, /2 and /8 inch lengths. The A; or inch set-.,

ting is generally used to start the hair cutting. With each setting a cut is taken all around the head and upward a short distance. The comb member is then moved out to the next setting and the cutting is continued as before. The above indicates the method of using this attachment'and the settings indicated have been demonstrated by extensive use to be entirely satisfactory. The comb member is retracted to its inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3 or it may be readily removed when outlining the hair cut.

"In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 number 1 is the comb or foratent O member.

ward portion and 2 is the back portion of the comb The comb 1 is preferably made of nylon and is attached to the back portion 2 by screw 3 which engages a tapped hole in 2. The comb l is made removable as I find it is advisable sometimes to use combs of different teeth pitch for different hair or different parts of the hair. The back portion of the comb member can be made of .050 inch thick half hard aluminum. A longitudinal slot 2a is provided in 2 for adjusting the comb member, and an enlarged portion 2b is provided in the forward end of slot 2a. This enlarged slot portion 2b is made a little larger than the outside diameter of knurled nut and screw 4, to permit the comb member to be easily attached to and removed from the clipper. When setting the comb member in its various positions the marks 20 shown in Fig. 1 are brought even with the back turned-up edge of 5.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the comb member, which is made up of part 1 the comb or forward portion and part 2 the back portion, is shown in side elevation. The back portion of 2 extends rearwardly from the comb 1 and provides a means for clamping the comb member to the clipper. The forward portion of 2 is bent upwardly toward the comb 1 and then bent backwardly to form a support for the comb and position same in an inclined and spaced apart relationship with the back portion of 2. I find that that portion of 2 which is bent upwardly toward the comb provides a means of producing a tapering or shading cut to the long hairs where they start near or toward the top of the head. This is accomplished when the comb member is in a forward position similar to that shown in Fig. 4, Where, I find, that the upwardly bent portion previously referred to contacts the lower ends of the long hairs as the clipper is moved upwardly and lifts or pushes the long hairs and causes them to bow outwardly and into the cutting edges of the clippers. A portion of these long hairs are out not at their lower ends but at some distance above their lower ends. Thus a very desirable tapering or shading cut of the long hairs is obtained at this point. The long hairs must be combed down on to the scalp before making these cuts.

In Fig. 2, number 5 designates a channel shaped member to which the comb member is clamped in its various positions by means of knurled nut and screw 4. A tapped hole 5a is provided in 5 for knurled nut and screw 4. Tapped hole 5a is located between the tu-rned up edges of the channel shaped member 5. I find that this location of the clamping device 4, that is between the up-turned edges of the member 5, enables one to clamp the comb member to 5 and hence to the clipper very firmly with a minimum of turning force on the nut and screw 4. And no trouble whatever is experienced with the comb member vibrating loose as it often does with many types of construction. Bent plate 6 is riveted to 5 by rivets 7. The forward end of bent plate 6 is provided with slots 6a and 6b and these slots are arranged to take screws 8 which hold stationary blade 9 to the clipper housing 11. These screws are generally #10 with 32 threads per inch and they vary in center distance from W to 1 inch. The slots 6a and 6b will take screws of these varying distances apart and these slots permit the comb member support 5 and 6 to be readily attached to or removed from a clipper by merely loosening and then tightening the screws 8. I find that it is satisfactory to make 5 of half hard aluminum and 6 of a high carbon stilt steel and rivets 7 can be aluminum. Figure number 10 designates the vibrating cutting blade of the clipper.

I find that there is a considerable advantage in making comb member 5 in the form of a channel as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. I thus obtain comb member supporting and clamping surfaces on the up-turned edges of 5 that are spaced well apart and with the clamping means 4 located between these up-turned edges. When clamp 4' is screwed down on to 2, 2 will deflect slightly and act. as a spring lock to prevent clamp 4 from turning and loosening during the use of the clipper. I find that only a minimum of pressure by the knurled nut and screw 4 is required to hold the comb member firmly in place on 5. I find that where one clamps the comb member to one flat surface a great deal of pressure is required, otherwise to comb member will work loose due to the vibration of the clipper. Most of the clippers in general use are of the vibrator type and the whole clipper vibrates considerably.

The rear portion of 2 is turned up as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The advantage of this construction, with a given slope or angularity of the comb teeth with the plane of the stationary blade, is that the distance of the backs of the comb teeth from the cutting edges, measured on a line perpendicular to the backs of the comb teeth, can be increased with much less forward movement of the comb member than could be used were 2 made straight, that is without the turned-up rear portion.

A further advantage is that the ends of the comb teeth, for a given setting of the comb member, do not extend so far out beyond the cutting edges.

An additional advantage is that, with the turned-up rear portion on 2, the angle that the backs of the comb member teeth make with the plane of the stationary blade may be considerably less than where 2 does not have the turned-up rear portion. One can then hold the clipper at a greater downward angle when cutting hair and at a substantially normal angle whereby the beveled surface on the stationary blade is almost parallel with the surface of the head.

This, I find, especially where one cuts his own hair, is often an advantage because if one has to tip the clipper upward much more than the normal angle the body or housing of the clipper may interfere with ones view of the hair being cut at certain parts of the head.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an attachment for conventional hair clippers, wherein the stationary blade is held in place on, the clipper housing by screws, and wherein an adjustable comb member, independent of the cutting blades of said clippers, is used to aid in controlling the length at which the hair is cut, the combination of, a support for said comb member and said support being located back of the cutting edges of said blades and attached to the back of said stationary blade by said screws, the cutting edges of said blades being the front, and said support having comb member supporting and clamping surfaces spaced apart as measured on a line perpendicular to the line of cut of blades, a comb member clamping device carried by said support and located between said spaced-apart supporting and clamping surfaces, a comb member having a forward portion and a back portion, said forward portion comprising a plurality of comb teeth and said back portion adapted to rest on and be clamped to said spaced-apart supporting and clamping surfaces by said clamping device, a longitudinal slot substantially parallel in direction to the said comb teeth and located in the back portion of said comb member, said slot cooperating with said clamping device.

2. In an attachment for conventional hair clippers wherein an adjustable comb member, independent of the cutting blades of said clipper, is used to aid in controlling the length at which the hair is cut, the combination of, a support for said comb member and said support being located back of the cutting edges of said blades and attached to the stationary blade of said clipper, the cutting edges of said blades being the front, and said support having comb member supporting and clamping surfaces spaced apart as measured on a line perpendicular to the line of cut of said blades, a comb member clamping device carried by said support and located between said spaced-apart supporting and clamping surfaces, a comb member having a forward portion and a back portion, said forward portion comprising a plurality of comb teeth and said back portion adapted to rest on and be clamped to said spaced-apart supporting and clamping surfaces by said clamping device, a longitudinal slot substantially parallel in direction to the said comb teeth and located in the back portion of said comb member, said slot cooperating with said clamping device.

3. In a support and clamp for supporting and clamping a comb member on the stationary blade side of the cutting blades of a conventional hair clipper, and wherein the stationary blade is attached to the housing of said clipper by screws and said support and clamp is located back of the cutting edges of said blades, the cutting edges being at the front, said support and clamp comprising, slot means located in the forward portion of said support, said slot means cooperating with said screws to attach said support to said stationary blade, supporting and clamping surfaces for said comb member located in the back portion of said support and said supporting and clamping surfaces comprising, surfaces spaced apart as measured on a line perpendicular to the line of cut of said blades, a clamping device for said comb member carried by said support and said clamping device being located between the said spaced-apart supporting and clamping surfaces.

4. In a support and clamp for supporting and clamping a comb member on the stationary blade side of the cutting blades of a conventional hair clipper, said support and clamp being located back of the cutting edges of said blades, the cutting edges of said blades being the front, said support and clamp comprising, means located in the forward portion of said support for attaching said support to said stationary blade, supporting and clamping surfaces for said comb member located on said support and said supporting and clamping surfaces comprising surfaces spaced apart as measured on a line perpendicular to the line of cut of said blades, a clamping device for clamping said comb member to said surfaces said clamping device being carried by said support and located between said spaced-apart supporting and clamping surfaces.

7 5. In a support and clamp for supporting and clamping an adjustable comb member on the stationary blade side of the cutting blades of a conventional hair clipper, said support and clamp being located back of the cutting edges of said blades, the cutting edges of said blades being the front, said support and clamp comprising, slot means in the forward portion of said support cooperating with the attaching screws for said stationary blade to attach said support to said blade, upwardly extending portions on said support and said upwardly extending portions being spaced apart as measured on a line perpendicular to the line of cut of said blades and these portions extending away from the stationary blade and forming supporting and clamping surfaces for supporting said comb member, a clamping device carried by said support and located between the said spaced-apart upwardly extending and clamping surfaces.

' 6. In a comb member used in combination with conventional hair clippers and adapted to be movably supported and positioned on said clipper and located on the stationary blade side of the cutting blades of said clipper, said comb member comprising, a forward portion and a back portion, said forward portion of said comb member comprising a comb having a plurality of comb teeth and said teeth having their length extending, when on said clipper, in a forward and'backward direction, the cutting edges of said blades being the front, said back portion of said comb member extending rearwardly from said comb, a longitudinal slot substantially parallel in direction to said comb teeth and located in said back portion, a hair lifting and pushing surface located, when said comb member is positioned on said clipper, between the comb of said forward portion and the stationary blade and said hair pushing surface being attached to said comb member and arranged to move with said comb when said comb is adjusted with respect to said cutting edges.

7. In a comb member adapted to be used in combination with a conventional hair clipper and adapted to be movably supported and positioned on said clipper and located on the stationary blade side of the cutting blades of said clipper, said comb member comprising, a comb located at the front portion of said comb member, and a support for said comb located at the back portion of said comb member, said support comprising a backwardly extending part which has a plane surface extending backwardly from said comb and which is adapted to be clamped to said clipper, and said support also comprising a part which extends from said plane surface of said backwardly extending part to the back portion of said comb, the back of said comb being spaced from the said plane surface of said backwardly extending part by a selected amount to form a surface located between the said comb and the said plane surface of said backwardly extending part which will contact the lower ends of the long hairs which are located on the side of and near the top of the head and by lifting the long hairs cause them to bow outwardly from the scalp as the clipper is moved upwardly, the said surface extending substantially over 10 the width of said comb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,470,287 Carter May 17, 1949 2,789,348 Clark Apr. 23, 1957 2,916,820 Clark Dec. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,918 Germany Q. Nov. 27, 1883 

